It's 3:07AM, and two girls burst into a run down toilet. Joanne is crying her eyes out, and her clothing is ripped. Kelly's face is bruised and starting to swell. Duncan Allen lies in his bathroom bleeding to death. Duncan's… MoreIt's 3:07AM, and two girls burst into a run down toilet. Joanne is crying her eyes out, and her clothing is ripped. Kelly's face is bruised and starting to swell. Duncan Allen lies in his bathroom bleeding to death. Duncan's son, Stuart, has found his father and wants answers. Derek, Kelly's pimp, needs to find Kelly or it will be him who pays. Kelly and Joanne need to get through the next 24 hours alive...

From the near-hysteria of this compelling opening sequence, Paul Andrew Williams's taut, tough and thoroughly satisfying drama grips the viewer and never lets go until its brutal, surprising conclusion.

Elizabeth Weitzman

New York Daily News

Very good but very grim, Paul Andrew Williams' punishing debut doesn't pull many punches -- although the characters certainly field their share of body blows.

Exceptional!!! Without doubt one of the best films that I have watched in a long time. A gritty, true to life storyline with very natural performances,… MoreExceptional!!! Without doubt one of the best films that I have watched in a long time. A gritty, true to life storyline with very natural performances, particularly from the two main characters. This film held me from the get go and never failed to grab my attention throughout. Quite a frightening reality, which makes it a sensational Drama.
This is a film that should be on everyone's "must see" list (or at the very least every Brit's "must see" list).

Dean King

A good if gritty, raw film film about a runaway girl and a prostitute she befriends trying to get away from a small time gangster. Very short but it makes a big… MoreA good if gritty, raw film film about a runaway girl and a prostitute she befriends trying to get away from a small time gangster. Very short but it makes a big impact, although it was getting predictable towards the end. Great film for a shoe string budget.

Gordon Anderson

Taut gritty thriller with a scarily authentic atmosphere. Sam Spruell is particularly chilling with a controlled menace which owes a lot to Paul Bettany's… MoreTaut gritty thriller with a scarily authentic atmosphere. Sam Spruell is particularly chilling with a controlled menace which owes a lot to Paul Bettany's performance in Gangster No1.

Lesley N

Prostitute trys to protect homeless girl from the clutches of gang boss by running away to Brighton. Again.

Cassandra Maples

I can't recall the last time a film had such a visceral impact on me. Coming out of the cinema after watching "London to Brighton" I felt my… MoreI can't recall the last time a film had such a visceral impact on me. Coming out of the cinema after watching "London to Brighton" I felt my senses reeling and the adrenalin pumping as if I had just stepped off a particularly fiendish theme park ride.
There's a grim nastiness running throughout this story, interwoven with a thin thread of maternal compassion. Life is hard and hopeless for these people. They have few choices open to them. Their environment is sordid and gloomy. Even the seaside resort of Brighton is cold, windy and desolate.
But what lifts the audience out of what might otherwise be a depressing experience is the storyline which builds excitement and fear to the point where my friend felt he had to get up and actually leave the auditorium! Without revealing the plot, I can say that had he stayed, the final scene ? which in no way strays from the noir ? would have rewarded his perseverance.
The cast turn in convincing performances and Georgia Groome is excellent as the young runaway.

Luke Baldock

A wonderfully dark and gritty film that feels like Dead Mans Shoes. A very simple story, a girl and a woman on the run, is transformed into a more detailed… MoreA wonderfully dark and gritty film that feels like Dead Mans Shoes. A very simple story, a girl and a woman on the run, is transformed into a more detailed character study. At 85 minutes the film is tense and surrounded in mystery as bit by bit we are exposed to why they are on the run and why they are being chased. The acting is fantastically real, it really does raise the quality of the overall film. Other British films such as Kidulthood and Snatch are ruined by quirky, over the top performances and stereotypically cliched dialogue. Not here. Groome is naive and innocent yet suprisngly strong. One supporting character shows a softer side in the very british offering of a cup of tea to his captives. Spruell is also mysteriously captivating as the son robbed of a despicable father. He plays it with an understated amount of both love and contempt. The film as opposed to being shocking is more uncomfortable. The overall tone is bleak but the message at the end is a fair one. Just about everyone gets their comeuppance. A true great, though it does take time to settle into its shoes.

Walter M.

To paraphrase, nothing good can come at 3:07 am which is when Kelly(Lorraine Stanley), a prostitute between the ages of 25 and 40 with a black eye, and… MoreTo paraphrase, nothing good can come at 3:07 am which is when Kelly(Lorraine Stanley), a prostitute between the ages of 25 and 40 with a black eye, and Joanne(Georgia Groome), an 11-year old runaway with a 2 pack a day habit, find themselves barricaded in a bathroom. They are on the run from Kelly's pimp Derek(Johnny Harris) who in turn was previously contracted by Stuart(Sam Spruell, who is superb)who would like to have a polite chat with him about what exactly went wrong. Kelly decides to go to Brighton with her young charge because she has a friend there that Derek knows nothing about but first has to do some impromptu fundraising.
"London to Brighton" is a harrowing thriller that all hangs on one particular moment of stupidity and some tenuous logic. For the most part, the flashbacks are unnecessary as the viewer can already fill in the blanks without a lot of help. In other words, sometimes less is more and that is certainly the case here. At the same time, through a bit of misdirection, the movie is not really about Kelly and Joanne at all, as it is about the rich exploiting the poor. At least in England, they can all agree on a cup of tea.

Daniel Parsons

One of the very best films to come out of the UK in 2007, and a massively impressive directorial debut from Paul Andrew Williams (who, hopefully showing his… MoreOne of the very best films to come out of the UK in 2007, and a massively impressive directorial debut from Paul Andrew Williams (who, hopefully showing his versatility, followed this up with cult horror <I>The Cottage</I>), <I>London to Brighton</I> is a bleak, tense and compulsive film. Expertly structured with kinetic direction and nervy hand-held camerawork, the story of teenage runaway Joanne and 'working girl' and maternal figure Kelly almost always feels truthful and despite the content, rarely sensationalist or alarmist. As the film reaches its final section it seems there's no way out for these characters, so the ending's a bit of a cheat, not to mention a little bit listless considering what has gone before, but this aside rarely a foot is put wrong.

Sophie Burgess

Although this is a totally disgusting film in what is happening, it's very interesting and gripping to see what is happening and is going to happen to… MoreAlthough this is a totally disgusting film in what is happening, it's very interesting and gripping to see what is happening and is going to happen to these people. It makes you realise what people really go through on the streets and how difficult and horrible it really is. It was uncomfortable but enlightening to watch.

Craig Sutcliffe

<u><b>Directed by:</u></b> Paul Andrew Williams.
<u><b>Starring:</u></b> Lorraine Stanley, Georgia Groome,… More<u><b>Directed by:</u></b> Paul Andrew Williams.
<u><b>Starring:</u></b> Lorraine Stanley, Georgia Groome, Alexander Morton, Johnny Harris.
<i><< "Why the fuck did you run away?"..."Cause living at home was shit, mums dead ain't she and my dad was a bastard, he beat me...he was always pissed." >></i>
The story follows a woman and a young girl on the run, the woman beaten and the young girl distrout, they have both been involved in an event that is keeping them on the run, or else they will be found.
I certainly tried keeping the synopsis above as minimum as possible, because nothing should be ruined for this film...especially when its simply told and runs for a mere 78 minutes (without credits)...but what is told is something great.
The story pretty much is split into 3 angles, the first being from the angle of the two on the run, the other of the two who are chasing her and the other of the person who has set this all up...never does the film drag on any of these angles, each section is tautly told and remains full of tension and grittiness, there is never a dull or forced moment.
The performances are some of the most committed and strongest i have seen in an independent, unknown first debut in many years. Everyone does wonders with there well thought out characters, but the one to mention is Georgia Groome. 14 at the time of filming, she inhabits the role with such complexity and experience, its shocking to see the attitude and range coming from someone so unknown...and when the emotion is raised, its heart-wrenching to see her the way she is.
As much as I am trying to say nothing about the film or its themes, the 3rd act I will mention. Brutal, unrelenting and very morally hard to watch, its one of the more daring acts you'll see that is portrayed realistically, but the final frames could have gone in so many different directions that the one delivered here does feel a little unconvincing.
London to Brighton is certainly worth the watch and I urge you to seek it out. An outstanding debut that is amazingly realistic and gritty in its dark themes and is all the more satisfying when you know that the characters are the main focus and they are given the right treatment with some astonishing performances.

John Ballantine

Be prepared to be depressed and for some really gritty action here but it is worth it. A dash away from a loser's life but can the losers escape?

Adam M.

Gritty and powerful British thriller. When a woman and young girl burst into a shitty London toilet covered in blood and bruises seemingly on the run, what… MoreGritty and powerful British thriller. When a woman and young girl burst into a shitty London toilet covered in blood and bruises seemingly on the run, what sarts as an in-your-face opening keeps up the same level of pace as we find out how the two got into that state and how they're going to get out of it, clashing with a few dodgy characters along the way. Not for the faint hearted or easily offended but London To Brighton is brilliantly written and directed with great performances and is one of the hard hitting, gritty and real thrillers for while. A possible future British classic.